SEF honours school adopters for revitalising govt schools

Sindh Minister for Education and Mineral Development Syed Sardar Ali Shah has stated that despite the federal government’s announcement of an education emergency a few months ago, nothing clear has emerged about the collaboration with the provinces to improve education.

No consultation had been done with them before the education emergency was announced, he said while speaking to the media after attending as chief guest a ceremony, organised by the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) at hotel in Karachi, said a statement issued on Saturday.

The minister mentioned that due to heavy rains, 20,000 schools in Sindh have been affected, and two million children are forced to study in challenging conditions, with school buildings no longer fit for sitting. It is surprising that the federal government decided on an education emergency, yet there is no clear policy for the 26 million out-of-school children in the country.

He urged the federal government to consider the children of Sindh as children of the nation and play its role in the restoration of the flood-affected schools. He expressed hope that the promises made by the federal government for the restoration of schools damaged by the rains will be fulfilled soon.

Shah suggested that the federal government should consult with all provinces regarding the issue of out-of-school children. Earlier, the Sindh Education Foundation held a ceremony in a hotel in Karachi to honour the school adopters who took on the responsibility of reactivating non-functional government schools.

On this occasion, Sindh Secretary of School Education Zahid Ali Abbasi, managing director of the Sindh Education Foundation, Qazi Kabir, former governor of Sindh and school adopter Lt-General (retd) Moinuddin Haider, and other school adopters, teachers, and students were present.

During the ceremony, Syed Sardar Ali Shah acknowledged the school adopters, saying, ““We admire those who have not only adopted the schools but have also adopted our shortcomings, which we view with high regard. Adopting a school is akin to a mother’s care, taking on the noble responsibility of educating the nation’s children.”

He highlighted that due to the adoption policy, 319 schools have been reactivated, and 125,000 children are receiving education. The provincial minister emphasized that everyone must play their part and light their own candle of responsibility. For the first time, he has written a letter to lawmakers, asking them to take responsibility for at least three schools in their constituencies. “We must also keep an eye on the schools that are functioning,” he added.

Secretary of School Education Zahid Ali Abbasi said Sindh was the first province to introduce a school adoption policy, which had yielded clear benefits. He added that Sindh had led many initiatives for the development of education, and those who came forward to adopt schools were driven by a spirit of service. These individuals deserve high praise.

Sindh Education Foundation MD Qazi Kabir mentioned that many schools can be improved through this policy, and school adopters should be appreciated at every level so that more people can join this noble cause. The school adoption policy was created by the government, and it is improving public sector schools.

He shared that the SEF, in collaboration with the government of Sindh, launched the “Adopt a School Program” in 1998. Over 100 adopters are responsibly managing 319 non-functional government schools across Sindh, which is the result of the vision of SEF founder Prof Dr Anita Ghulam Ali and the serious efforts of the Sindh government to advance education.

Later, the education minister inspected the models presented by the students of the adopted schools and interacted with them to gain insights.